Conduit-terminal.



A. G. F. SCHUSTER L l. R. JUHNSON.

CONDUIT TERMINAL. AmLlcATlON FILED DEC. n. mm.

@M5/Mu nutren i wenn.

AUGUST G. F. SCHUSTEB AND EVER R. JOHNSON, OF SHXCAGO, IELLXNOIS.

CONDU1T-TERMENL Application filed December To all fufmm it may @mmf/rn lie it known that we, AUGUST G. l?. tiorius'rnn and lvm ll. JOHNSON, citizens ot the United States, residing` :1t Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot' lllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conduit-Terniinals, of which the following is a specification.

Uur invention relates to improvements in conduit terminals and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Our improved conduit terminal is 4more particularly adapted for use upon the upper end of upright vvire or cable conduits or pipes such as are usually attached to the upright supporting poles used in telephone, telegraph and other electric current conducting, systems.

ln the general practice now in use, the overhead current conducting cables are genorally supported upon the upright wooden poles which are suitably embedded in the ground. To the top of the poles are lattached the usual cross arm or cross arms, which carry the insulator knobs to which the Wires or cables are secured by tie Wires.

When it is desired to transpose the current conducting cables from an underground system to an overhead system or vice versa said current conductors are passed through a protecting conduit which is fixed to one o' said poles by means of large staples. IThis conduit is usually an iron pipe the bottom end of which extends into the vicinity of the underground conduitJ and the top end ot said conduit terminates in the vicinity of the bottommost cross arm on the pole.

Each current conductor is led up from theunderground conduit through this pole conduit Where it is distributed to an associated pothead or other device on the cross arm of the pole, which will provide for the convenient tapping,f of the cables.

@wing to their construction the conductors, which generally comprise an inner core containing a single or a plurality of Wires with an outer tubular sheathing uncovering of lead are quite heavy in Weight and as is apparent Where no `means are provided to maintain the cables in a permanent relation to the conduit on the pole, the entire weight of the conductors in said pole conduit is imposed upon the pothead or other devices and under the action of grav- Speeication of Letters Patent.

ity, the conductors tend to settle or creep lower in the pole conduit tending to pull the pothead or other devices ott' the cross arms and destroy the connections therein.

Also, when the cables engage the top edge et the pole conduit, this settling or creeping ot the cables therein abrades the lead covering thereof, exposing the insulation, ultin'iately causing` short circuit, and destruction ot the cable or conduit or both. This is further augumented by the Jfact that the pole conductors are sometimes open at their top permitting. the entrance of rain, snow and foreign matter.

it is the objectof this invention to produce a device which w ill prevent the settling' and creepingof the conductors relative to the pole conduit, which will prevent the engagement of the conductors with the end of the conduit. and which Will prevent the entrance of rain, snow or 'foreign matter into said conduit, thus eliminating the various objectionable conditions hereinbevlfore set forth.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a View in elevation et the top end of a current conductor supportingpole with our improved conduit terminal aiiixed to the top end ci the pole conduit.

Fig. Q is a vien' in side elevation on an enlarged scale of our improved conduit ter minal as when in place upon an associated conduit..

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough the plane of section being indicated by the line 3?) of Fig. 2.

Fig. el is a vertical sectional view, the plane` of the section being indicated by the line lr-#i of Fie". 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view or one of the parts of our improved conduit terminal.

Referring more in detail to that embodiment. of our-invention illustrated in the acconnianying drawings, l0 indicates the upper end of one et the usual current conductor supporting' poles, havingI the usual transverse cross arm 'll fixed thereto. 'l2 indicates a plurality of insulator knobs mounted on-said cross arm und to which are tied by means oic the usual 'rie Wires, current conducting Wires or cables i3. ses illustrated said conductors are entered into the usual potheads or other devices le which are `@generally attached to said cross arm adjacent an associated insulator. From the potheads7 lat the conductors 'i3 entend downsuthce for both.

wardly into and through an upright conduit or pipe 15 which is attached to the pole 10 by means of large staples 16, only one of which is shown in this instance.

The cables extend the :tull lengthof said conduit 15 and into underground conduit (not shown) adjacent the lower end thereof.

To the upper end ot' said conduit or pipe 15, is attached our improved terminal indicated as a whole by the numeral 20. As illustrated said terminal is preferably made in a ]')lurality of parts, in this instance, two parts 21-21 one of which is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 5.

Said parts are preferably made ot' stamped metal of suiiicient strength and rigidity to withstand the strain to which they are subjected. As each part 21 is identical in construction, a description of one part will Each part or member con1- prises a semi-tubular body portion 22, a neck portion 23 and an outwardly flared mouth portion 24, the upper marginal part of said flared mouth portion 24, terminating in a rolled bead, to provide a smooth edge therefor. Intermediate the body and neck of each part 21 is formed a rib 26 which provides on the inside at the bottom of the neck portion 23, a semi-annular shoulder 27 adapted for engagement with the top edge of the conduit 15 (see Fig. 4.)

When the terminal as a Whole is in position upon the conduit or pipe 15, said shoulders 27 rest upon the edge of said conduit With the body parts 22 thereoil embracing a portion of the conduit adjacent its top end.

Each part 21 is provided at its lateral ver-v tical edges with means which co-act With like means upon adjoining edges of an associated part 21, so that two of such parts may be interloclred togetherl in position upon the upper end of the conduit 15 in a manner presently to be described and such means are as follows:

One lateral vertical edge ot' each part 21 is formed with a radial flange 30 Which eX- tends almost the full height of said edge. rl`he opposite edge of said part is provided with a vertical extending hook member 31 defining a groove 32 diametrically opposite the flange 30 before referred to.

The terminal may be easily attached to conduits already installed, in the following manner: One of the parts 21 is placed in position upon the top end or" the conduitlor pipe 15 with its shoulder 27 resting upon the upper edge thereof. A second part 21l is then placed in position in .a plane above the part 21 already in place but on the opposite side of the said conduit 15, with its flange 30 and groove 32 in vertical alinement with the groove 32 and flange 30 of the associated part 21. A downward movement is then imparted .to said member until its shoulder 27 engages upon the top edge or Leases/e the conduit when said parts are then interlocked to each other.

The outwardly tlared flanges 2e thus define a mouth adapted to receive a means for' closing the top of said pole conduit and for gripping the coiuluctors therein. This is provided for in the l" llowing manner: A packing material 33 suoli as cotton Waste or the like is inserted into the mouth so formed and then tamped down around the conductors 13 until it iills the neclr portion above the top edge oi the conduit 15 up to the beginning ot' the flared mouth lf it eX- tends into the said conduit no harm is donc. A cementitious compound. preferably ot' a Waterproof nature` in a plastic state is then put into the mouth as is indicated at 3l, the packing 33 forming a support for and at the same time preventing the entrance of the same into the conduit. This cement compound is lnished ott as shovvn so that it will shed Water about the rolled edge of the mouth.

The conductorsI 13 are tenuiorarily supported in any suitable manner troni the cross arm or pole until the cement compound sets or hardens. 1V hen set it adheres to the conductors 13 therein and on account ot the flare given to said mouth the said conductors 13 cannot draiv the same downwardly into the conduit 15. is thus apparent. that after the cement compound has set and hardened it will act as a plug tor the terminal Q0 to close the conduit 15 and also to hold the conductors 13 in a suspended rolation therein, in a manner effeetually preventing any settling or creeping of said conductors.. This removes the supporting strain from the potheads or other devices and prevents the entrance of rain, snoiv or other foreign matter into the conduit 15 at this point.

ldlhen the conductors 13 in the conduit 15 generate heat, as they sometimes do, this heat can escape, or vent itself on and about the inner surfaces of the anges and hooks 30 and 31 respectively before mentioned.

Our improved conduit terminal possesses many advantages as is apparent from the foregoing description and while in describing the same We have referred to certain details of construction and arrangement of the parts, we do not wish to limit ourselves thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. fn combination with a conduit and conductors therein. a terminal tor said conduit comprising a plurality of identical parts adapted to interlock with. each other and to engage the end ot' said conduit, said parts having outwardly iarcd portions providing a. mouth for said terminal. and means carried-by said outwardly flared portions for closing said mouth and preventing movemeent/e nient of said conductors relative to Said terminal.

2. ln combination With e conduit and conductors therein, :i terminal for said conduit comprising a plurality of identical parte adapted to interlock with each other end to engage the end of Suid conduit, said parte having portions providing nn outwardly flaring month for Said terminal and :i plug adapted to seat in seid mouth so ne to close the Same and to prevent movement of seid conductors relative to Said terminal, i

3. ln combination with a conduit end conductors therein, a terminal for Seid conduit comprising it plurality of identical parte adapted to interlock with each other and to engage the end of Said conduit, said parte having portions for providing en outwardly flaring mouth for seid terininiil, and a filling of cementitious material for said mouth adapted to close the saine and to embrace said conductors, seid filling preventing movement of Said conductors relative to sei-d 'terminal parte to each other and to the conduit.

4. ln combination with et conduit and eonductors therein, e 'terminal for seid conduit comprising :i plurality of identical parte having interlocking adjoining` edges adapted to he support-ed on seid conduit Seid parte gie each liiiving zi rib intermediate ite ende that fornire e part of en annuler shoulder adapted vto engage end reet upon the end of @eid conduit, seid parte being flared outwardly et one end to provide :i mouth for seid teriiiinel as n` wholen und a plug of cement coinpound supported iii seid mouth adapted to close the Same und 'to prevent movement of seid conductors relative to said conduit.

5. A device o the character described compiiising;l :i plurality 'of arcuate parte) each oi which is provided et one edge Wi e. radial and et its other edge with it hooked flange adapted to receive the radial flange of in adjacent part, each part oeing die formed one end with an arcuate l flange 21nd at the other with sin outwardly :tiered lenge and with shoulder intermediate sind o. i. Jirii 

